Now they're losing 'ugly'

The White Sox brought in a new hitting coach Monday with the hiring of Greg Walker. Whether he would have taken the job if he had seen this is problematic.

The Sox failed for the fourth game in a row and 11th in their last 17 to score more than three runs, suffering their second double-digit mauling in four days with a 12-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays for their fourth straight defeat.

Before a crowd of 19,628, Toronto scored in seven innings, knocking Sox pitchers around for 12 runs on 15 hits. Manager Jerry Manuel was ejected in the fifth inning, though it wasn't clear immediately if he was upset to the point of rage or simply couldn't stand to watch anymore.

"It was an ugly game on [all] parts: offensively, defensively, pitching, whatever," Manuel said. "It was probably the worst game we've played."

Starter Dan Wright (0-2) fell behind almost immediately when No. 2 hitter Frank Catalanotto homered to right. The lead grew in the second when Greg Myers and Josh Phelps led off with singles, followed by a walk to Eric Hinske. Orlando Hudson drove Myers across with a fly to left.

Manuel's efforts to put more offense in the lineup, moving Ordonez to center and starting Daubach in right, appeared to exact a small price in the Toronto third.

Shannon Stewart led off by lining a homer to right. Catalanotto followed with a double to right that Daubach misplayed, allowing Catalanotto to reach third and forcing the infield to play in. With one out, Carlos Delgado singled to right just over the drawn-in infield.

"You have to make a decision to go one way or the other so with the people we have, we have to go with the people on offense and hope that it gets started," Manuel said of the outfield changes.

The Blue Jays loaded the bases in the fourth on walks and made the score 5-1 on Stewart's sacrifice fly.

The Sox ran themselves out of a rare scoring opportunity in the fifth with an elementary baserunning gaffe, making the first out of an inning at third base.

Crede led off with a double but then inexplicably ran into the tag at third when Sandy Alomar Jr. bunted hard toward third and the ball rolled to third baseman Eric Hinske.

Crede, who came in standing up, appeared to beat the tag. But plate umpire Randy Marsh, making the call because the third-base umpire had his view blocked, called Crede out. Manuel got the thumb after several minutes of animated beefing.

"That seemed like it could be a critical time for us," Manuel said, but then added, "It probably didn't affect the outcome of the game from the way that we played."

Toronto, leading 6-1 after six, crushed what was left of the Sox's hope with five runs in the seventh, highlighted by Hudson's bases-loaded triple.

"We have to keep fighting and fighting for each other," Manuel said. "I think we're going to be OK, as tough as it is."

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